Breaking Point
by Mysterious Midnight
Summary: Teen Fic. One of the sisters has it harder than the other two. Not as pretty or outgoing, she's tortured at school by fellow classmates badly. A tragic event finally pushes her to the breaking point. Better than it
1. The Event to End All

A/N: Hey. So, this fic is a Teen Fic and it's unlike anything I've ever written before. First of all, I've never written a Teen Fic. Second of all, there's no magic and it's a real, major issue that one sister is dealing with. It'll make more sense when you read it. So, please be nice! Lol.

**_WARNING:_** This fic deals with an issue that some may consider a "sensitive" or "inappropriate" topic. It is an issue that is a worldwide problem. It might get violent and there may be severe cursing, that is why I rated it R. Therefore, I urge anyone who is offended by violence or cursing to NOT read this.

**Side Notes: **1) For those reading "A Vision of Utopia": Still posting! Ch 30 is on its way. 2) For those reading "Generation Charmed" and "Déjà vu Never Again": You guys probably hate me and I'm sorry! I'll update ASAP, if I can.

I know I have a lot of fics going right now, and I can't even keep up with those – not to mention, I only have this chapter so far – but I couldn't wait to post it!

Prue is 17. Piper is 16. Phoebe is 15. They don't know they are witches and they have no powers right now. They live in the Manor with Patty.

Also, don't expect an update too often for awhile. I don't have any other chapters written and "A Vision of Utopia" is my first priority. But I'll try to get updates out as quick as possible.

Okay, so with that said and done, please enjoy and please review!

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"Hey, freak," hissed a blonde, wearing expensive looking clothes and jewelry.

Piper Halliwell, used to being called a freak, weirdo, nerd, and much worse, chose to ignore her. Sitting in math class, they were in the middle of a very big, very important, and very hard test. She tried to concentrate on it instead, though math was her worst subject. She tried to ignore the fact that a sharp piece of wiring from her braces was cutting into the inside of her cheek.

"I'm talking to you, bitch," the blonde hissed again, kicking the back of Piper's chair quit hard.

Piper stopped writing for a second, her heart pounding and her palms sweating. Debra Mancuso was popular. She was a cheerleader, dating the Star Quarterback. She hung with the popular crowd, had expensive clothes and jewelry, and was driven to school everyday by said boyfriend. All at the young age of sixteen (Well, seventeen actually. Debra had been held back in first grade because she was slow at learning to read. No one, of course, knew this except for Piper who worked in the office during her lunch period and had snuck a peek at Debra's file when she'd been told to put it away).

Piper didn't have many friends. Prue was the pretty popular one and Phoebe was the funny, carefree one everyone loved to hang with. She wasn't necessarily popular, but well liked. But Piper? Piper had long, stick straight hair that always looked a little greasy, no matter how many times she washed it. It always looked flat and frizzy. She had braces that stuck out a mile every time she opened her mouth. She was self-conscious of her body and always worse clothes that were a bit too big, but hide her body from others. She was a loner and had a "good-girl" reputation, always doing work and handing it in on time, though her grades, in certain classes, sucked. She worked in the school office to avoid the cafeteria, where the popular kids pushed her around and knocked her tray out of her hands. One time, Debra had purposely poured a bottle of soda down Piper's front. The teacher on cafeteria duty had spotted Piper with soda all over her and her tray on the floor and had come over.

"S-she pushed me a-and I spilled my soda!" Debra had wailed, crying her eyes out and dramatizing the whole thing. "A-all I wanted t-to do was say h-hi!"

The whole idea of Debra wanting to say hi to Piper was ridiculous, but whom was the teacher going to believe - Pretty, popular Debra or weird, friendless Piper? Obviously, the teacher had believed Debra.

In short, school was torture for Piper. And right now, she was being tortured. Debra wouldn't stop kicking her chair and trying to get her attention by calling her names. Finally, Piper turned around.

"Mrs. Risk, Mrs. Risk! Piper's cheating off me!" Debra cried shrilly.

Piper paled, turned around slowly, catching the grin on Debra's face. Mrs. Risk, her lips pursed, stalked to Piper's desk, picked up her paper, and ripped it to pieces. Mrs. Risk didn't tolerate cheating. She ripped the paper up and you received a zero. Piper, who – unfortunately – had almost every class with Debra and Debra – unfortunately – sat behind Piper in all those classes. So Piper frequently received zeros. It was amazing that she managed to move forward every year with all those zeros bringing down her grades.

For the rest of class, Piper stared blankly at her desk, tears in her eyes. But she forced them back. The last thing she needed was for Debra to see her crying.

The bell finally rang. Piper gathered her books in a hurry. She always rushed to her classes because if she stayed in the hallway too long, Debra and her brainless friends came after her and taunted her and pushed her around.

Standing, Piper started to leave the room – when Debra came up behind her and knocked her books out of her arms.

"Oops, sorry, freak," Debra grinned, not sorry at all. She sauntered out of class.

Everyone laughing and the teacher not even noticing, Piper blushed bright red and bent down, gathering her books. She rushed out of the room, running past Debra and her friends, who were jeering at her and shouting obscene comments. Piper nearly tripped over her own two feet to get to class.

Piper was a few doors down from her biology class when she bumped into a brunette. She fell to the ground, her books spilling again. The brunette turned around and glared down at her. It was Jennifer Anderson, Debra's best friend and fellow cheerleader.

"Watch where you're going, freak," she snapped, giving Piper a slight kick in the gut. Not enough to leave a mark, but enough to hurt. She then stalked off, her and her friends laughing like crazy.

Piper blushed furiously, forcing herself to get up, though her stomach hurt now – pretty badly (those pointy stilettos Jennifer wore were deadly weapons), and gathered her books. By the time she got to class, she was late and received detention for the following Monday.

School couldn't have ended sooner. She ran to her locker, got her stuff, and ran out of the building, waiting for her sisters in their usual meeting place.

It seemed like forever, but finally Prue arrived and waited with her. No one dared tease or taunt Piper with Prue around. Prue was popular – the most popular girl in the Junior class. No one wanted to get on her bad side.

"How was school?" Prue asked cheerfully.

Piper mumbled her reply, staring at her feet.

As they waited for Phoebe, several passerbies waved bye to Prue, promising to call later so they could arrange a get-together at the mall later. Debra and Jennifer stopped to say hi and chat, both smirking evilly at Piper before leaving.

Finally, Phoebe arrived, chatting happily with several people. She waved good-bye and followed Prue and Piper to the sidewalk. They waited only a few minutes before their grams came and they piled into the car.

"So, girls," Grams said cheerfully, "How was school?"

Piper remained silent as she listened to Prue and Phoebe, both speaking at once, explaining how great their day was.

"And you, Piper?" Grams asked in the millisecond that Prue and Phoebe stopped for breath.

"It was fine," Piper grumbled.

Yeah, fine. It had been far from fine. She wished it had been fine.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It seemed like forever, but Friday finally rolled around.

_One more day, _Piper told herself. If she could get through today, she'd have two glorious days of freedom from Debra and Jennifer and their friends.

If only it was that easy.

The morning started out fine enough. She made it through three classes with not a peep from Debra. Piper wasn't sure if she should take this as a good thing because she was being left alone, or a bad thing because it could mean Debra was plotting worse things. It turned out to be the latter.

Lunch rolled around quicker than Piper could fathom. Where had the day gone? Two more classes, after lunch, and she'd be free. And all day, no one had bothered her. It was wonderful. And, better yet, she spent her lunches in the office, filing and such. No one would bother her there.

However, it turned out that the secretaries in the office were having a party with some of the other staff and no helpers were needed.

Piper tried for her second option, the library, but one of the English classes was in there doing a project.

Trembling with fear, Piper stepped into the doorway of the cafeteria. It was loud and noisy and if you didn't sit in just the right seat, you were labeled a looser. The four grades ate together (not _all _at once, but some students from each grade. They were divided into three different lunch periods). Piper saw Phoebe sitting with her group of friends; the ones upper classman had dubbed immature and stupid, most likely to fail in life. Prue didn't have lunch this period.

Taking a deep breath, Piper walked into the cafeteria, spotting a seat in the back corner. She made a b-line for it-

"Piper!"

Piper stopped short. Debra and Jennifer had jumped in her way and were smiling big, fake smiles.

"Piper, come sit with us," Jennifer begged.

"I-I-" Piper stammered.

"Please?" Debra pouted. "Will you? We're sorry for the things we've done. We want to be friends, forget everything that happened in the past."

"Uhm, I do-" But Piper's protests meant nothing. Debra and Jennifer had each grabbed her by an arm and were dragging her to the table they occupied. They plopped her down on the corner edge of one side and took their own seats, smiling oddly at her.

"So, Piper, what do you do for fun?" Debra asked, making conversation.

Piper shrugged lightly, feeling her cheeks warm up. "I, uhm, I read. And I, uhm, work in the office during lunch, usually."

"Fascinating," Jennifer cooed, nodding slightly.

Piper blushed, so flustered by the attention that she didn't notice Debra and Jennifer's bad attempts to keep from laughing, along with the other girls at the table.

"So, do you like anyone?" Jennifer asked. "Like, a guy."

Piper blushed bright red and shook her head fiercely, starring down at the table, causing her greasy hair to hide her face like a veil and her glasses to slip down her face.

"You do!" Debra and Jennifer squealed together.

"Who is he?" Debra asked.

"What grades he in?" Jennifer wanted to know.

Piper wasn't about to tell these girls anything like whom she liked. That was her personal business, not information for two of the biggest gossips in the school to have a hold of. She was amazed that either one of them could keep anything a secret.

Debra and Jennifer were exchanging ominous looks at this point and Piper grew worried.

"Uhm, I need to-to go. T-thanks for lunch, uhm – bye." Piper stood to leave.

"No!" Debra cried. "Piper, lunch just started. You gotta stay and eat with us. Please?" She pouted slightly.

Jennifer stood, "Don't go yet," she said as she went to Piper's side and forced her to sit back down, then she went back to her own seat.

Piper nodded slightly, muttering something.

Debra's gaze wondered and she nodded at someone.

Piper was about to turn around to see who when Debra and Jennifer jumped away from the table – and just in time, too.

All of a sudden, a red liquid came spilling from the ceiling and spilled all over Piper, covering her from head to toe, just like in Stephen King's Carrie, only it was red paint not pigs blood.

Piper couldn't move. She was shocked into silence. She could hear people around her laughing, but couldn't really see them. Her glasses had been drenched. She felt the gooey paint ooze in her hair and drip down her shirt.

She thought she heard Phoebe call to her, and maybe some teachers running over and yelling. But she wasn't positive. Everything was blurred and muffled.

Then everything went black.


	2. Dangerous Decisions

A/N: Sorry it took so long. Writer's block! Blah. Anyway, thanks for the reviews guys!

Rose01: Glad you liked it!

Anonymous: I feel bad for her, too! Believe me, Piper's one of my favorite characters. But she fit this role best.

Alyson Teague: I know. Teenage girls can be so horrible. I have to admit, I almost cried, too, and I wrote it!

PrudencePiperHalliwell: Lol. I wish, but no powers, remember? Plus, Piper's the Non-confident nerd who gets picked on. She's not one for revenge.

And now, as per my usual, I'm going to be evil! Read on to see why, and I'll try to update sooner next time. But it's hard. I'm doing four fics right now, and itching to start another!

Kay, anyway, please enjoy and please review!

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Piper sat in the Nurse's office, where she'd been sent right after the commotion in the cafeteria had died down. She'd been instructed to wait while they discipline the people responsible and call her grandmother. Piper had gone berserk and begged them not to, to get her sister Prue instead. Prue could take her home, and then Grams would never know. She didn't want Grams to know,

So now she was waiting for someone to go get Prue and bring her here.

Piper was numb and could barely think. All she could think about was the red paint falling on her and some of what happened after. The teachers on duty had come over and easily figured out Debra and Jennifer – plus some junior boys – had been responsible and had been taken to the principal right away, then she'd been led, among jeering and laughing, to the nurse's office where Phoebe sat with her for awhile, until Piper couldn't stand it and told her to go to class.

Now she was waiting.

Tears were pooling in Piper's eyes and she had trouble containing them. But she wasn't going to start crying. No way. Not at school, in the nurses office, covered in red paint.

After what seemed like hours, the door into the nurses office opened and Prue ran in, her raven black hair shining perfectly and contrasting perfectly with her perfect tan (in other words, Prue was perfect).

"Oh god, sweetie," Prue exclaimed upon seeing her younger sister. She was at Piper's side in an instant. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Piper said through gritted teeth. "Can you just take me home so I can shower and change before Grams gets back from work?"

"Why before- You are going to tell her what happened, right?" Prue asked, eyes wide.

"No. And you and Phoebe better not, either," Piper hissed.

"But Piper-"

"Prue just take me home," Piper said gruffly, saying each word as clearly as she could. She avoided eye contact because she knew if she looked at anyone, she would cry.

Prue glanced at the nurse, who nodded at her in a 'Take her home' kind of way.

"Okay," Prue said. "Let's go home, Piper."

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Piper threw away the clothes with the paint. What else could she do? She had loved the outfit, but Grams would ask her about the paint and there was no good excuse she could use. So she did the only thing she could do and threw them away.

Then she got into a nice hot bath and sunk underneath the water, letting it engulf her. She stayed under as long as possible, until she couldn't hold her breath anymore. Then she surfaced, gasping for air, eyes shut. She rubbed her eyes and opened them. Red paint was all over the bathroom tile, floor, and tube and the water was completely red.

Piper took a scrubbing brush and some soap and began to scrub away at the paint. Most of it had dried hard as a rock already and it took several dunks under water and two bars of soap before she got it all off. Then she drained the tub and stood, turning the spouts back to the shower setting and taking a hot shower to get rid of the rest of the paint and to wash her hair.

Two hours later, Piper emerged from the bathroom, wrapped up in two big fluffy towels. Prue was waiting for her. Not in the mood to talk, Piper made a beeline for her bedroom right away.

"Piper please talk to me. What happened?" Prue asked, following Piper.

"I don't want to talk about it," Piper snarled. She walked faster.

"Piper, you have to tell Grams, Somebody's bound to at some point," Prue said, walking faster to keep pace with her sister.

"No one is telling Grams anything," Piper snapped, slamming her door shut and locking it behind her. She heard Prue knocking and begging to be let in. Piper ignored her.

Instead, she changed into gray sweats and comfy socks and, hair still wet, got into bed and snuggled up under the blankets. The tears that had been threatening to escape finally broke free and she sobbed into her pillow for what seemed like hours, until she couldn't cry any longer.

After that, she fell asleep.

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When she woke up, it wasn't because she was finished napping. No, if Piper had had it her way, she'd still be asleep. But the arguing outside her room was too loud to ignore.

"Prudence, I demand to know why you brought her home early, and I want the truth this time. The school wouldn't allow you to bring her home and not call me if it were simply a case of not feeling well."

Grams. Grams was home and she sounded mad.

Piper looked at her clock. It glowed 2:15. Piper had forgotten that Grams usually got home around two o'clock and Piper and Prue and Phoebe didn't usually arrive home until after three. Phoebe was still at school.

"She just wasn't feeling well, Grams. I swear, that's all. It wasn't major and Piper didn't want them to bother you at work, since you're just starting out and all. I had a free period, so they agreed to let me-"

"Prudence," Grams snapped, "I know well that you don't have any free periods to spare. And, seeing as you are not eighteen yet, they wouldn't let you simply bring Piper home. Now, I'm going to go in there and ask her myself."

"But she's asleep. You can't just-"

But apparently, Grams could. Because next moment, Piper's door was being shoved open (hadn't she locked it?) and Grams was inside her room.

"Piper," she said, gently but harshly, "Are you okay?" She sat on the edge of Piper's bed and put her hand on Piper's forehead. "You aren't warm, but you don't look well. Have you- Piper, were you crying? What's the matter?"

Piper couldn't speak. She didn't dare speak. If she opened her mouth, she feared she'd vomit or worse: tell Grams the truth.

"Grams, I'm fine," Piper croaked. Her throat was dry. "I just want to sleep, okay?"

"Piper, you aren't okay. You never miss school. You never come home early from school. What ever is the matter?" Grams asked – okay, demanded.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing!" Piper cried. "Just get out and leave me alone!"

Grams looked so taken aback that she got off the bed and nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it and stalked out.

Piper felt tears prick her eyes. Prue took Grams spot on the bed, frowning slightly.

"She just wanted to help. But I didn't tell her. I kept my promise to you," Prue informed Piper, if only to keep her sister from going Exorcist on her.

Piper said nothing.

"You know, you bring it on yourself," Prue said suddenly. "Those kids, they'd be nicer to you if you tried to be nice to them. You're such a loner and so-so weird. D'you know how many people tell me that if you weren't so weird-"

Piper mumbled something.

"What?" Prue asked, unable to hear what Piper had said.

"I said get out," Piper said louder.

Prue frowned. "But Piper-"

"Just get out, Prue," Piper said, feeling a fresh wave of tears coming on. "Just get out."

Prue frowned but stood and went to the door. She was half way through closing it when Piper called her name and she stopped.

"Yeah?" Prue asked hopefully. Maybe Piper would apologize for snapping at her.

"Don't come back in here again. Stay away from me, okay? " Piper said coldly, staring at the ceiling.

Prue gulped, but nodded. She turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Piper put her head back down on the pillow and stared at the ceiling as tears fell onto her cheeks and dripped onto the pillow.

Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest and she wished all her pain would just stop. School had been like this for sixteen years of her life. Except today had been the breaking point for her. She had feared for her life today, more so than ever before.

And she didn't think she could make it through the rest of this school year, let alone another two years of high school and four years of college.

She had to stop it. She had to end it or she'd crack.

The sun shone brightly into her room and caused something on her night table to shine into her eyes.

Squinting, Piper looked at the shiny item. It was a scissor that she had been using the day before to cut out pictures from her teen magazines. One of the magazines still sat on the table.

Piper glanced at her closed door, then at the scissors.

She had top stop the aching in her chest, the torment at school. She had to.

She reached for the scissors.


	3. Torment and Terror

A/N:** Warning! This chapter deals with Cutting (as hinted at in the previous chapter) and may be very graphic. If you don't like to read this sort of stuff, or aren't allowed to, then stop! Otherwise, proceed on.**

Now, to thank the reviews (who probably hate me for not updating sooner!)

Alyson Teague: Lol. Glad you like.

Future Editor: Thanks! And glad you like!

Me (not me as in me. Lol. Me as in the reviewer ): Glad you agree, glad you like!

Sorry for not updating. It's been a crazy week. But, anyway, hope you aren't too mad!

Please enjoy and please review!

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The pillowcase was ruined. So was her sweatshirt. Worst of all, her wrists throbbed and were still bleeding freely. She hissed in pain, yet felt freer than she had before. She dropped the scissors on her night table. She looked around for something to stop the bleeding when-

"Piper?"

It was Phoebe, outside her room.

"Just a sec," Piper croaked, looking around, then finally grabbing one of her old shirts from the floor and wrapping her wrists in them. She put the scissor in her drawer and hid her arms under the blankets.

"Okay, come in," Piper called nervously.

Phoebe came in and sat on the bed. "How are you doing Piper?"

"Fine," Piper grumbled. Her shirt and sweatshirt were soaked where she had bled from her wrists and she wished people would leave her alone already.

"Debra and Jennifer were suspended for what they did, along with those Junior guys who helped her," Phoebe explained, hoping it would cheer her sister up.

Piper nodded slightly, feeling faint.

"What they did was really-"

"Phoebe," Piper said, interrupting her. "Can you stop talking about it? I don't want to be reminded. Don't tell grams, either. I don't want her to know. And could you please leave? I don't feel well and I want to sleep."

Phoebe nodded, looking slightly hurt as she got up. "Okay. I'll go," she snipped, leaving and closing the door behind her.

Piper pulled her hands out from under her covers and removed the shirt, then rolled up her sleeves. Her wrists had stopped bleeding but just barely. She'd ruined her sweatshirt and the shirt she'd wrapped around her wrists. They'd have to get thrown out, just like the outfit that had gotten red paint on it.

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Dinner was awkward. Piper wasn't talking at all and Phoebe, who usually spoke nonstop, was barely speaking, either. If she spoke, she'd spill the beans on Piper's paint incident at lunch and she didn't want to break her promise to Piper. Even Prue was barely speaking, because she wanted to tell Grams, despite Piper making her promise not to.

"Are you girls okay?" Grams asked suspiciously. "You're never this quiet."

"We're fine," Prue and Phoebe said in unison. Piper forked food around her plate.

"Piper, it's eighty degrees out. Why are you dressed in long sleeves?" Grams asked. "You'll get heat stroke."

"I'm fine, Grams," Piper said hastily, hiding her arms under the table.

Grams eyed her, but left it alone and went about boring the girls with what she did that day. Nothing thrilling.

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The weekend went by too fast for Piper. On Monday, she was even less excited about going to school than usual and she had even tried to fake being sick, but Grams had seen right through it.

So now she stood in front of her locker, balancing a bunch of books in her arms as she tried to put some in her locker and take the ones she needed.

Suddenly, a French manicured hand came out of nowhere and knocked her books out of her arms.

Piper gasped as the same hand spun her around and slammed her into the lockers.

It was Aleesha Wilson. She was just as evil as Debra and Jessica and when they weren't around, she took over. The three of them were best friends and were, for the most part, inseparable.

"You got my friends suspended, bitch," Aleesha snapped, leaning in dangerously close to Piper's face, her nails sharp and deadly if used for evil intentions.

Piper stammered, trying to say something but nothing was coming out.

"Shut up!" Aleesha growled, rolling her eyes. "Looser. Thanks to you, my friends got in trouble and now they're suspended."

They attacked me, Piper wanted to point out, but she didn't have the guts to. As it were, she feared what Aleesha was going to do to her.

"You better watch your back, bitch," Aleesha snarled. "I'm going to make your life hell." She pushed back, flipped her hair and flipped Piper the finger, then strutted away, her Jimmy Choo's clicking on the tile floor and her skirt dangerously short.

Shaking, Piper picked her books up and decided to walk around with all of them. That meant less trips to her locker and a more direct root to her classes, which equaled less of a chance she'd run into Aleesha or the other Popular Princesses and Princes who wanted to strangle her.

Still shaking, her heart pounding, Piper feared she was having a panic attack and ran to the nearest girl's room. No one inside. Piper dumped her books into the sink and hastily searched inside her backpack.

"Come on, come on, where is it?' Piper whined. Finally she found what she was looking for and pulled it out.

She lowered the scissor to her wrist.

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(Four weeks later)

The next few weeks went about the same. Piper wouldn't have been surprised if the whole of the Popular Group had come up to her, each several times, blaming her for Debra and Jessica's suspension, even though they attacked her and it had been weeks and the Preppy Princesses were back in school, anyway. They had taken to torturing Piper even more, several times a day. She made three stops into the bathroom each day and, by the end of the day, her arms felt raw but she felt good on the inside. She felt freer and more able to cope. It was a way to let her deal with what was going on.

That's how she saw it and how she felt at the time.

When the day would finally end, she would hurry out of the school and wait by the curb instead of on the steps. The curb was by the buses and none of the popular kids went over there if they could help it. So she was safe.

Prue and Phoebe would come over a few minutes later, asking what she was doing waiting there. She barely answered them and ducked into Grams car the second she arrived.

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One day after school, Piper went right to her room. She had been avoiding socializing like it was the plague, not wanting her sisters or Grams to find out about the cutting thing. Piper had read about cutting only a few times, but knew that most cutters were sent places to get better and to stop cutting. Piper didn't want to stop. It was her only way to vent.

So she sat on her bed and began her homework. It wasn't much and what she had wasn't due for a few days, but she did it anyway as an excuse to stay in her room.

Someone knocked on her door. Piper didn't reply. She continued to do her English homework.

The door opened and Phoebe walked in.

"Phoebe, go-"

"No," Phoebe replied. "I don't know what your problem is lately, Piper. But you've been so mean and I want to know why. What's your problem?"

Piper sat up and stared at her, but didn't reply right away. The shirt she had on was long and covered her hands, all the way to her fingertips.

"Why? Why am I being so bitter and mean? Like you don't see it, everyday at school. That thing in the cafeteria, where I was doused in red paint, didn't set off any brain cells? Oh, wait, you don't have any brain cells left. You're too busy slacking off and hanging with your loser friends, the ones pressuring you into trying cigarettes and drugs and alcohol."

Phoebe's eyes widened. Startled, she stammered, trying to deny the accusations, "No- that's not true – I've never-"

"Save it," Piper snapped, rolling her eyes and laughing. "I've seen you with a cigarette in your mouth and I've seen you swigging a beer. It doesn't happen much, I guess, but it happens enough."

"Piper-" Phoebe began.

"Just leave me alone, druggie. I don't need to hear you bitching at me and if you ever bother me again, I'll tell Grams what you've been doing!" Piper snarled.

Tears in her eyes, Phoebe ran from the room, slamming the door and running to her own, plopping on her bed and crying into her pillow.

Prue slowly entered the room and went to the bed. She sat next to Phoebe.

"Sweetie? What happened?"

Phoebe looked, bleary eyed, at Prue and explained, in between sobs, what had happened.

Angered, Prue stalked to Piper's room and knocked loudly.

"Piper!" she called loudly. When no once answered, she pounded harder. "Piper!"

Still no answer. So, Prue did the only logical thing: she turned the handle and stalked right in.

And screamed so loudly, the whole house shook.

She was frozen with shock and terror.

On the bed was Piper, pale as death, laying with her head hanging off the edge.

The baby blue sheets, along with Piper's clothes and arms, were covered in blood.


	4. Near Death Experience

A/N: Ah! Sorry it took so long! Writer's block.

Alyson Teague: Yeah, it was Debra and Jennifer. Glad you like it!

CharmedMillie: Glad you like it!

LeoPiperAndyPrue: Yeah, Piper always seems the target. Lol. Glad you like it! And I'll try to read yours, but no promises. I'm behind on my own! Lol.

Me: Glad you like it!

Sk: it's there! Promise. Lol.

FutureEditor: Glad you like it!

LeoPiperAndyPrue: Lol. Glad you like it!

Charmedchick4eva: Glad you like it!

Swimmer07: Glad you liked it! Lol.

Nicole812us: maybe, maybe not, Hehe

CharmedMillie: Glad you like it!

Promise to try and update sooner – sorry for the quickness.

Pleas enjoy and please review!

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The silence in the waiting room was deafening.

Grams, Prue, and Phoebe sat on three hard, orange-colored plastic chairs. Phoebe sat in the middle, with Gram on her right and Prue on her left. She was crying, with her head buried into Grams' shoulder and Prue clutching her hand. Tears slid down Prue's face, and Grams was in too much shock to even cry.

They had been waiting for at least two hours. But it felt like an eternity, from the moment Prue had screamed, to the moment Piper had been wheeled into the emergency room. Time seemed to have slowed down.

Finally – finally, finally – a doctor came walking to them and stopped, looked sad.

Prue's heart jumped into her throat and panic set in. Why did he look so sad? Doctors never looked sad unless something was wrong and-

"You're granddaughter is – fine. Uh, Ms. Halliwell, can we speak in private please?" the doctor asked.

Grams nodded and stood, murmuring softly to Prue and Phoebe, then she walked a few feet away to speak to the doctor.

"Ms. Halliwell, Piper has suffered a major loss of blood. And by the scars on her arms, I'd say this wasn't the first time she's cut."

Grams choked back a sob. "No – no. But, but I would have known!" Tears finally made their way into her eyes. "She was acting so strangely. She was easily angered, yelling at her sisters. And the long shirts in the hot weather . . ."

"She hid it well, Ms. Halliwell. Please don't blame yourself. Some girls go years before someone finally discovers what they're doing. Piper's case was caught very quickly, although this last time she cut was – bad."

Grams choked back another sob. "How bad?"

The doctor hesitated. "Well, we gave her a blood transfusion to replace the lost blood, and she's still hooked to a needle, feeding blood back into her body. But she's very weak and we – well, we almost lost her. Once she's well enough to leave the hospital, I strongly recommend you send her to an institution to get better. If she starts cutting again, she'll kill herself."

Grams nodded, pale and shaking. "Can we go see her?"

Again, the doctor hesitated. "I don't know if your granddaughters should go in just yet and see their sister in the condition she's in."

"If anything, they should go in first," Grams admitted, all though she didn't like the idea. "Those girls are very close and Piper might open up to them and tell them why she did this to herself. She might be more comfortable if I'm not there, too."

The doctor nodded. "Fine. I'll escort the girls to Piper's room, and you can wait in the waiting room. When they are ready for you, I'll come get you."

The doctor and Grams walked back to Prue and Phoebe. Grams sat.

"Girls, would you like to go see your sister?" he asked. Prue and Phoebe nodded eagerly. The doctor explained that Piper was weak and not well, so they wouldn't be alarmed when they saw her. He then explained that they should try to get her to open up and tell them why she did what she did. Then he told them that, when they were ready, they should come find him and he'd bring Grams in.

Prue and Phoebe nodded. Clutching hands, they followed the doctor to Piper's room. He left them and they went in and to Piper's bed. Her eyes were closed.

"Piper?" Prue said gently, touching her sister's arm.

Piper's eyes opened and she turned her head to look at them. She smiled weakly.

"Hi," she croaked. Her throat was dry and speaking was difficult. Her words were slightly slurred from being weak.

"Piper, why?" Phoebe asked, tears still gliding down her cheeks. "Why?"

Piper licked her dry, cracked lips. She looked away; obviously not ready to talk about why.

"Phoebe, I'm sorry," Piper mumbled, "for what I said to you when you were in my room. I was just – angry, I guess. I didn't mean it. I know it was only once and I'm, sorry."

Phoebe nodded, smiling slightly.

"What was once?" Prue asked sharply, glancing at Phoebe.

"Nothing," Piper said. "Please don't, Prue. Don't get mad at her. It was nothing. Please, just don't, not know."

Prue's expression softened and she nodded. "Yeah."

Piper lifted her arms and turned them, palm facing her, so she could examine the bandages on her arms and the scars from times when she'd cut in the past. She glanced at the IV pushing blood into her veins, and the IV of medicine in the back of her hand. She dropped her arms gently and held back a sob.

"Piper, please, can't you just tell us why?" Prue prodded.

Piper shook her head and laughed slightly, though it made her cough. "You guys won't understand. You're Miss. Popular and Phoebe's Miss. Rebel. You both have tons of friends and your popular. You don't get picked on, like me. People laugh at me, pull pranks on me, and threaten me. They drop paint on me-" She paused. "That was the breaking point, that paint. That and then all the threats I got when Debra and Jessica were suspended. I just couldn't take it anymore."

"Oh, Piper-" Prue mumbled, eyes filled with sadness.

"I just wanted it all to be over. I wanted it all to stop. So I-" Piper paused again, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "I tried to end my life. The first time, it hurt so badly that I didn't cut deep enough to do anything. I just made my arms bleed. And it felt – freeing, I guess. Whatever it was, it felt good and I became addicted. Whenever anything went wrong or I was upset, I cut. And the last time I did it, I was just –" Piper shrugged, not knowing how to express in words how she felt.

Phoebe's eyes burned as fresh tears escaped her already red and puffy eyes.

"Why didn't you come to us and talk to us?" Prue asked.

Piper shook her head. "You'd think I would have. It would have been the smart thing to do. But I just – I saw that scissor on my desk and I didn't think. I wasn't thinking clearly at all. And one I started, I was hooked and happy and ashamed and scared, all at the same time. I was afraid of what would happen if people would found out, ashamed that I had resorted to cutting to solve my problems. But I was hooked and cutting was just an easier way out than crying. Someone, it felt good to me. I can't even remember how."

She paused, her eyes wide and her lip trembling.

"Piper?" Prue asked, worried and ready to call a doctor.

"I was so scared," Piper said, her voice shaking as tears spilled down her cheeks. "When I cut the last time, I was so scared. I never meant to hurt myself that badly. I-I cut too deeply in both arms and I didn't realize until after. It hurt so badly and there – there was blood all over. I tried to stop the bleeding and I couldn't and I wanted to scream for help but I was so weak and then I got dizzy and I said good-bye to all of you in my head, knowing I was going to die. And then I passed out. And I-I thought I saw mom, and I feared I'd never wake up-"

She was sobbing heavily now. Prue sent Phoebe to go get the doctor and Grams. They had done what they had been told to do; they'd gotten Piper to tell them pretty much everything and now it was time Grams and the doctor came.

Several minutes passed and the doctor, Grams, and Phoebe came back in.

Grams went right to Piper's bed and hugged her tightly, mumbling things only Piper could hear. Piper nodded slightly, sobbing. Prue could just make out her words as Piper said, "Grams, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"

When the teary reunion was over, Grams turned to look at the doctor.

"How long will she have to stay here?" She asked.

"Maybe a day or two. It will depend on her condition. If she gets better, we'll let her go tomorrow. If her condition remains unstable, she'll need to stay a few days," The doctor explained.

"What about school?" Grams asked.

"She'll be missing a lot of school from now until who knows when. Remember what we discussed, Ms. Halliwell?"

Grams nodded.

"What? What?" Piper asked, eyes wide. She looked from her Grams to the doctor and back.

"We'll discuss it at home once you're out of the hospital, Piper," Grams said firmly. She didn't want to talk about it in front of Prue and Phoebe.

"You three can stay for another few minutes, then Piper need her rest." The doctor shook Grams hand, smiled reassuringly at the girls, and left.

After several minutes of talking and bonding, and speaking of everything but Piper's cutting, a nurse came and told them they had to leave because Piper needed some more tests done.

After quick good-byes, and promises of visiting the next day, Grams, Prue, and Phoebe left Piper alone with the nurse and went home.


	5. Departure

A/N: Show of hands, how many people hate me for not updating? – Looks around and counts. – Wow, lots. Sorry. I was having a major writer's block, and I was booked with work. Quarterlies (like Midterms and the finals, but after 1st and 3rd quarter) and a term project all at once. Plus I've been working like crazy on A Vision of Utopia. But I really want to update and finish my other stories, too. So here ya go!

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed. However, I'm just going to address questions from reviews of Ch 4 this time:

And there are none! Lol. Oh well, next time. But I loved all the reviews I received and I thank everyone so much! I promise to try and update sooner; THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS TO GET GOOD!

So enjoy and please review!

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Piper was released a week later with almost a clean bill of health. Now came the hard part.

Grams had kept the middle Halliwell home from school the day she came back from her long stay in the hospital. While Prue and Phoebe were at school, grams took the opportunity to speak to Piper about what was to happen.

Piper was lying in her bed. Her bedroom door was open – it always was, anymore. She wasn't allowed to keep it closed. The room had been emptied of everything sharp.

Grams knocked on the doorframe, but walked in without waiting for an answer. She sat beside Piper on the bed and picked up her arms, turning them palm up and staring at her granddaughter's wrists. Each one had a thick ring of gauze in one spot, and scars that would most likely never fade covered both arms from hand to elbow.

Grams gently let Piper's arms go and looked her granddaughter straight in the eye. "We have to talk about what comes next."

Piper nodded, shaking slightly. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like this.

"Piper, sweetie, what you did was very bad – for your health," grams said, quickly adding the last part. She didn't want to reprimand Piper when she was clearly hurting, emotionally. "The doctor from the hospital – he said if you cut again, it will kill you." Tears welled up in Grams face.

Piper's eyes widened and she flinched, trying to push back her own tears, as well as the guilt she felt at putting grams through this.

"The doctor suggested that-that you be placed in an institution to get better. It would be for about eight weeks, give or take, depending on how long it takes you to get better," Grams said quickly, mostly to get it over with.

Piper's eyes widened even more. "Like an insane asylum?"

"No, no, no," grams said quickly. "A place where you can get better. Los Angelus Institution, it's called," she added, not mentioning that it was really called the Los Angelus Psychiatric Institution. She had a feeling Piper wouldn't like that part.

"What about school?" Piper asked, though the idea of not going to that hellhole was actually somewhat of a sweet relief.

"I'm going to notify your principal that you will not be in school for a few weeks due to personal reasons. I'll have your work sent home with Prue and Phoebe," grams replied.

Piper nodded slightly, feeling in a daze. She didn't want to go.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I feel horrible sending you to this place. But you need to get better. I don't want to loose you like I lost-" Grams cut off. She had been about to say "Patty" but knew it would only upset Piper more.

"When are we going?" Piper asked, her mouth dry.

"Sunday," Grams replied. Sunday, actually, was in two days. It was Friday already.

"Do Prue and Phoebe know?" Piper asked.

Grams shook her head. "I'll tell them tonight."

Piper nodded.

Grams kissed Piper on the forehead. "Rest now, darling. Everything will be al right. I promise."

Grams squeezed Piper's hand, then stood and left, Piper staring after her.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Sunday came all too soon in Halliwell Manor.

Phoebe refused to come out of her room; she'd spent the entire weekend – since Grams had told her and Prue about Piper leaving – sulking and crying.

Prue sat with Piper in Piper's room, on the bed. Prue's arm rested around Piper's shoulders, and Piper leaned into Prue. Both had tears in their eyes as Grams packed up two suitcases for Piper; one had clothes and necessities. The other had books, magazines, Piper's favorite stuffed dog, and a few other things that were deemed "safe" by the Los Angeles Psychiatric Institution; in other words, nothing was sharp or had semi-sharp parts that Piper could try to cut herself with.

Packing took less time than saying good-bye. Grams didn't want Prue and Phoebe exposed to the insane (literally) atmosphere of the Institution, so she had forced them to stay home. Therefore, all good-byes had been done there.

Now, Piper said in the passenger seat of Grams' car as they drove down the mildly busy highway towards Los Angeles. Thoughts flowed through Piper's mind, questions about what was going to happen once she got to her destination and what would happen while she was there. More importantly, what would happen after, once she was ready to come home? Would people treat her differently? Were her classmates aware of what she had done, and where she was going? Would they find out somehow anyway?

Would school become more of a hell than it had been?

She wouldn't know until it actually happened, she supposed. Sighing a sigh of fear and sadness, she hunched back in her seat and stared out the window at the monotonous view.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Grams' voice broke into Piper's wondering mind. How long had they been driving? It seemed only moments ago they were on the highway. Now they were parked in the circular drive of a large tan building with many windows and a sign that said "Los Angeles Psychiatric Institution." Below that, it stated that it had been established in 1869.

"An insane asylum!" Piper cried in horror and fear. "But Grams! You said – you said –" Piper gawked. "You're having me committed!"

Grams gulped. "Dear, it's for your own good. You're hurting yourself! You need to get better!"

"NO!" Piper shrieked. "You can't do this!"

Grams got out of the car and went to Piper's side. She opened the door and tried to undo Piper's seatbelt, but Piper tried to scratch her with her nails.

Grams backed up just as an older woman, flanked by two very large, scary looking men, walked to her.

"Mrs. Halliwell? I'm Maryanne Saunders," the woman said, shaking Penny's hand. "We spoke on the phone. And you must be Piper," she said, speaking to Piper like she was five, and smiling so widely that all her pearly whites showed.

Piper scowled.

"Now Piper, come on," Grams coaxed, leaning in to undo the seatbelt again, and this time too slow to avoid Piper's razor-like nails. Startled, grams jumped back.

"Mitch, Jim, please help Miss. Halliwell from her car," Maryanne Saunders commanded.

The two big men moved in and, in a flash, had Piper out of the car.

"I won't go!" Piper cried, trying to sound tough, but her quivering voice betrayed her; She was scared.

She tried to run, but Mitch had her around the waist in two seconds flat and dragged her back to the main group. Then he took hold of her right arm, and Jim took her left arm. They held tight.

"You should go, Mrs. Halliwell," Maryanne Saunders stated. "Sometimes it's easier for the patients to adjust if they aren't still in the presence of their loved ones."

Grams nodded. "I love you, Piper. Please understand that I did this for your own good!"

Piper hissed – yes, hissed – at her and glared at Grams as she removed Piper's luggage from the car, then got in and drove away.

Maryanne Saunders picked up Piper's luggage. "This way, gentlemen," she said to Mitch and Jim, leading them back in the building and heading towards the room Piper was to stay in.

The room was fairly large. Piper noticed right away that she was in a double: A girl about her age (maybe younger by a year or two) sat on one of the beds, staring into space. When Maryanne Saunders entered the room, the girl lazily glanced over.

"Ah, Julia, you're here. Good, good. I want you to meet Piper. She'll be rooming with you." To Piper, Maryanne said, "The rules are very simple. You can go anywhere on this floor and this floor only, but you must be accompanied by Mitch, Jim, or another of the staff. You cannot go unaccompanied to the bathroom and you cannot go outside the building at all for any reason. Meds are given in the morning, afternoon, and night. A nurse will come around every hour from 8 until wake-up the next day to check on you girls. You'll have daily sessions with a counselor, and daily check-ups with a doctor. You may not have anything sharp – in fact, you're nails will need to be cut. Lights out is eight and wake-up is seven. Breakfast is at seven thirty, lunch at twelve thirty, and dinner at five thirty. Any other questions, I'll be happy to answer at another time."

With that, she left. Mitch made her sit on the bed. He pulled out a nail clipper and quickly clipped her nails while Jim checked her bags for anything "unsafe." After, they both left.

Piper remained on her bed, trying to remember everything Maryanne Saunders had said. She was homesick already.

Julia stared at the ceiling, then Piper. "What are you in for?" she asked, sounding drugged – and she probably was.

Piper glanced at her. Julia was fairly short, not much taller than Piper. She had pale blonde hair that hung in limp strands around her pale face, and desperately needed to be combed. Her lips were chapped and raw from being bitten. She wore a whitish colored hospital gown (but one that covered your butt) and no shoes or socks whatsoever. Her crystal blue eyes were blank of emotion and her eyelids were half closed.

"Uhm-" Piper wasn't too comfortable sharing the reason for her being there, but since she was surrounded by crazies, she relented. "I cut myself – a lot."

Julia nodded, lazily and slowly, as if it were no big deal. "I'm anorexic . . . and I like drugs – a lot."

Piper nodded sheepishly; surprised she hadn't noticed how stick-thin and sickly the girl was.

"Just watch out for the crazies," Julia slurred. "They're dangerous."

_So watch out for everyone here, Piper thought sarcastically._

She had a bad feeling about this. A really, really bad feeling.


	6. Problems and More problems

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Lucy Knight: I'm so sorry about your friend. I can't even imagine how hard that was on you and everyone else who was close to him or her. But I'm glad that you're enjoying the story.

CharmedMillie: Thank you for the review, x2! You'll see why – read on!

Charmedchick4eva: Possibly. I haven't decided yet.

Sorry if you didn't get a shout-out thank you. I appreciate all the reviews! But with the end of school coming up, I've had little time to write and such, so I've gotten into the habit of just answering questions, or replying to reviews that had something very specific in them. I appreciate all the reviews I got, and I thank everyone!

Please enjoy and please review!

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Piper sat on the cold cushioned exam table as the doctor examined her arms and legs. Then she stood and the doctor – Dr. Anna Beth Carlson – examined the rest of her body, making sure Piper hadn't found something sharp and been using it to make fresh cuts.

Piper's cheeks flamed with embarrassment; The last person to see naked was Grams when Piper was five and she needed to be given baths. Now, standing there in her bra and underwear only, in front of a complete stranger, Piper felt more naked than ever before in her life. It was her first visit since arriving at the Institution.

"Okay, you can put your gown back on," Dr. Carlson said, smiling kindly, but speaking as if to a five year old. Piper noticed that many of the staff acted this way.

Piper put her hospital gown – a very pale, almost faded, blue gown that closed in the back so the patients had some form of dignity they could hold on to – back on.

"Everything checks," Dr. Carlson told her. "No new cuts, which is good and the scars on your arms just might fade, with some luck and maybe some plastic surgery, if you want. Other than that, you're in perfect health, as for your cutting. Next visit I'll do a full check-up."

Piper nodded. "Can I go now?" she mumbled.

Dr. Carlson nodded.

Piper left the room, only to be greeted by Guss, an old fart who hated his job. All he ever did was lead the patients to and from places. Right now, he was leading Piper to the sitting room where she'd remain until it was time to take her meds, then she'd go to lunch and after, she had an appointment with the psychiatrist.

The sitting room was pretty quiet today. A few girls sat by the TV, staring blankly at the screen. Somewhere, someone was fighting with a nurse. Shrieks echoed from another room. A group of three girls sat by the window, doing god knows what. Guss led Piper to an empty couch and deposited her. He nodded at a very plump woman with mousy brown hair – a nurse who guarded the sitting room – then left.

Julia sat on a couch across the room, but that didn't stop her from staring at Piper and giving her a manic smile that didn't quit reach her stoned eyes.

"Don't mind her," someone said, their voice low and deadly calm. "She's nutty, but I don't think she'd ever hurt anyone. Crazy Maisy wouldn't let her," she sing-songed.

Piper glanced up. A young girl with raven-black hair and pale skin swooped down onto the couch beside Piper. She sounded normal, but she – like Julia – looked stoned and very, very sad.

"New here?" the girl asked nonchalantly.

Piper nodded after a slight hesitation. "Y-yeah."

The girl nodded. "I've been here for five years now, ever since my parents died in a car crash." She sounded unconcerned and uncaring, but the hurt and distant look in her eyes betrayed her and Piper knew she was aching.

"I'm sorry-" Piper said, again hesitantly. She didn't know what might set this girl off.

"I survived. Dunno how. All I remember is a lot of blue lights," the girl said, her voice slightly slurred as if she were drunk. "What's your name?"

The abrupt subject change startled Piper, but she replied, "Piper."

"Paige," the girl said in reply. "What are you in for?"

Piper gulped. "Cutting."

Paige nodded. "I'm also addicted to drugs, according to the doctors. But I told them I'm not. I just like a good pick me up once in awhile." The girl smiled wryly. "But it's hard to get a hold of drugs here. They keep them locked up, so sometimes I cut, too. Not often, just when I can't get a hold of some kind of drug."

"But we-"

"-Can't have anything sharp, and we get checked," Paige sighed. "Yeah, yeah. You're new, so I'll forgive you. But you forget that they don't check under your bra or panties; never, not even during regular check-ups. That's how I do it, right under my panty line where they can't see."

"But how do you get sharp stuff? We're not allowed."

Paige smirked. "So easy. Just go around to the non-cutters, or break something off of something. Better yet, steal something from the nurses and doctors; they'll never know."

"Don't you want to get better?" Piper asked.

Paige shrugged. "What's the point. Dying seems more humane at this point. 'Least then I'd be with my parents instead of this shit hole."

Piper opened her mouth to speak, but her name was called for meds. Slowly, she stood, stared at Paige – who was staring off into space – and went to the counter where she took her meds, showed the nurse her empty mouth, and was accompanied to the cafeteria by Mitch, one of the two men she'd met the first day at the Institution.

The cafeteria was loud and crowded. Insane people of all sorts sat in groups with the same illness as themselves. Just by watching, Piper could see who was who.

In the very back, occupying two tables, sat over a dozen thin-as-rail girls who were obviously anorexic or bulimic. In the middle, to the left, sat the cutters (Piper sure as hell wasn't sitting with them). In the middle, right, sat the alcoholics. In the front left were the druggies, who all looked stoned. And in the front right sat a group of unknowns. For the most part, they seemed to simply be insane,

On the right in the very front corner was an empty table. Piper took salvation there and didn't bother to eat. Instead, she sat and thought of what Grams was cooking at home; maybe a roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy? Chicken Pot Pie? Meat Lasagna? Chicken with freshly squeezed lemon and string beans? The possibilities were endless, and the thoughts made her mouth water.

How long had gone by, Piper didn't know. But next thing she realized, a male nurse had come along and collected her, taking her to her shrink session.

Once at the office, he sat her down on a leather chair across from a big oak desk and left, closing the door.

At the desk sat Dr. Charles Bradbury. He glanced at her over the rims of his glasses. His hair was gray and he was balding in the middle. His expression wasn't welcoming nor kind.

"Piper Halliwell." Dr. Bradbury said, though he pronounced her name as "Pip-per Hail-e-well".

"Actually-" Piper awkwardly tried to correct him, but he ignored her.

The session basically went on like that the whole time. Every time Piper started to say something, the shrink would cut her off and use what she had said against her.

After the session, Mitch came to take her back to her room. She wondered if she could get a different shrink, and asked Mitch so.

Mitch shrugged. "Gotta talk to Ms. Saunders 'bout that. I'll see about sending her by your room tomorrow, if you want." But he didn't sound like he cared too much.

Piper nodded and said thank you as she entered her room. Mitch walked away and Piper, trying to ignore Julia's stoned, manic grim, lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

She wondered what her family was doing right now and wished she were home, as well.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Piper woke up in the middle of the night to someone whispering her name. She sat up in bed, looking around. But no one was there.

"Hello?" she called softly, not to wake Julia.

Piper slid out of bed and, barefoot, tiptoed from the room and to the door. She peaked out. When she saw no one, she snuck out and listened.

"_Piper_."

Piper's head swiveled to the left and she stared down the empty hall. She crept slowly down the cold tiled hallway, eyes narrowed slightly, hearing strained.

Five doors down and she was still walking, still listening.

A door creaked open on her right. She started to turn her head to see what was going in, but someone pulled her inside before she could. She tried to scream but a pale, clammy hand clamped over her mouth. The door was closed, a light flipped on, and Piper was let go.

"Paige?" Piper asked, startled as she stared at the raven-haired, pale skinned girl from earlier.

Paige nodded and giggled slightly, insanely.

_And I thought she was at least slightly sane, _Piper thought wryly.

"I got something for ya," Paige said giddily.

"What?" Piper asked suspiciously.

Paige extracted something from her pocket and held it out for Piper to take, smiling proudly as if she'd accomplished some extraordinary task.

Piper stared, then gasped and backed away. "Where did you get that?"

Paige giggled. "I stole it off Bradbury's desk during my session. They don't know I cut, so he didn't bother to hide it." She swung the letter opener in front of Piper's eyes. "Want it?"

"No," Piper cringed, backing away again. "No way. I'm through hurting myself. Unlike some people in this loony bin, I want to get better and go home to my family. I want my life back."

Paige shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"We need to get back to our rooms," Piper said, changing the subject, "before we get caught."

"You go," Paige said, waving Piper off. "I'm staying here." She eyes the letter opener hungrily.

Piper felt torn between running back to the safety of her room and staying to make sure Paige didn't hurt herself – but then wondered why she felt so protective of such a lunatic and quickly left the room without looking back.

She didn't run into anyone on her way back to her room. She snuck into the dark room, heard Julia snore, and slipped into bed, her heart pounding.

The light flipped on.

"Well, aren't we sneaky?"

Piper glanced towards the voice.

Maryanne Saunders stood by the light switch, arms crossed and a very angry look on her face.


	7. Friends and Promises

A/N: It's been too long! But I'm finally trying to finish all my unfinished stories. So I'll be updating this along with "Déjà vu Never Again." Once I finish those two, I have two others to do, then I want to do some new stuff.

I'm sorry for the long wait and I hope you guys don't hate me!

PS: I didn't have a chance to reread this before I posted, so please forgive any mistakes.

Please enjoy and please review.

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"I-I-I-" Piper spluttered, eyes wide with worry. What was going to happen now?

"Explain yourself," Maryanne Saunders demanded.

Piper gulped, her throat dry. She opened her mouth to reply when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter." Maryanne glanced at the doorway. One of the orderlies stood their looking grim.

"Ma'am, we found another girl out of bed. Paige Matthews. She had a letter opener and she was cutting herself."

"Miss Matthews isn't a cutter," Ms. Saunders said.

"She's been cutting herself in places that the doctor doesn't check – under her undergarments," The orderly confirmed.

Ms. Saunders fixed her stare on Piper. "Do you know anything about this, Miss. Halliwell?"

Piper gulped. Should she rat Paige out, or lie and get in trouble herself?

"Kind of. Paige snuck in here and she-she took me to this closet and showed me the letter opener," Piper began nervously.

Ms. Saunders' eyes swept over Piper's arms.

"I didn't do it. I told her no. I was going to try and convince her not to do it, too, but I didn't know if she'd listen. I was going to get help, but I didn't want to get anyone – myself included – in trouble and-" Piper looked down, half ashamed. Why hadn't she gotten help?

"I see," Maryanne Saunders said slowly, but her expression had become slightly kinder. "Thank you for being honest, Miss. Halliwell. We'll deal with Miss. Matthews from here. For now, you get some sleep."

With that, Ms. Saunders followed the orderly to wherever Paige was being kept.

Piper climbed into bed, but she was no longer sleepy. Instead, she stared up at the ceiling for a long time.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next day, Piper didn't see Paige anywhere; She wasn't in the re room or the café. Her name wasn't call when it was time for meds. Piper's stomach clenched uncomfortably as she wondered what they had done to her.

But she didn't have long to wait. Soon after lunch, she was taken to her 'psychiatric evaluation' – or, more commonly known as her appointment with her therapist. But it wasn't the rude man who twisted her words. This time, it was a kind looking woman who smiled and shook Piper's hand.

"Piper, my name is Louisa Diaz. I'll be taking over for Dr. Bradbury from now on. So, I've looked over you records and caught up on the case." She smiled kindly. "Where would you like to start?"

Piper shrugged. She shifted on the couch.

"Why don't you tell me about your family? We'll start basic and then, once you're more comfortable, we'll move on to the real reason we're here."

Piper nodded. "Well, I live with my Grams. My mom died when I was really little and my dad left when I was only a few years older than that. I have to sisters. Prue is two years older than me, and Phoebe is two years younger than me."

"So you're the middle child?" Mrs. Diaz asked, smiling. "I was the middle child, too. But I have an older brother and a younger sister. Do you get along well with your sisters?"

"Most of the time," Piper replied. She reluctantly added, "Sometimes it's annoying though because Piper's the pretty, popular, older sister who gets to do everything before me, and everything I can't do. And Phoebe's the younger one who gets all the attention because she acts out. Then there's me, stuck in the middle. Not popular, can't do everything first, but isn't babied either."

"It's frustrating, I know. And with me, my older brother was always so protective," Mrs. Diaz laughed.

"So's Prue. She kind of acts like surrogate mother to me and Phoebe. "

"How's school?" Mrs. Diaz asked, changing the subject.

"Horrible. It's what drove me to –" Piper paused. She looked down. "School's bad. I'm always getting teased and bullied. Everyone's always calling me nerdy and stuff."

Mrs. Diaz wrote something in her notebook. "Would you like to tell me what school drove you to do?"

Piper, without looking up, shook her head.

"Next session maybe," Mrs. Diaz said gently. "Our half an hour is almost up, believe it or not."

It was true. A few minutes later, Mitch came to bring Piper back to her room, where, grateful Julia was off somewhere else, she sat on her bed, reviewing everything that had happened in her appointment, everything that had led up to her coming to the nut house, and everything that had been in her life before she'd started cutting. She missed it and she wanted to go home so badly. But she'd only there for about three days and grams had told her she had to stay for almost eight weeks. Eight weeks! But maybe if she got better, she'd be allowed to go home sooner. How she longed to go home!

"Hiya, Piper!"

Piper looked up to see Paige in her doorway. Without waiting for an invitation, Paige came in and sat across from Piper on Julia's bed.

"Where have they been keeping you?" Piper asked.

"In Isolation," Paige replied, rolling her eyes. "They checked me for cuts and found the places where I did it. Now they've changed my medication and have narrowed down the places I can go and things I can do and they took away everything sharp. Their watching me like a hawk to make sure I don't cut again."

"Sorry," Piper replied, feeling slightly guilty."

Paige shrugged. "They've put me in Isolation before. I'm used to it. How 'bout you?"

"I got a new Therapist. She's nicer than that other one I had. I just want to get out of here, though, I want to go home."

"We all want to go home. But I don't have a home to go to, unless I find my birth parents and I dunno if I will," Paige replied. Suddenly, she seemed the sanest she had ever been.

As if she had read Piper's mind, Paige said, "I'm not as crazy as I seem. The drugs were just a phase. I don't really need them anymore. But I kind of keep up the crazy act just to spite them. No one believes me when I say I don't know how I got out of the car when my parents died. All I can remember is a bunch of blue and white lights and that's all."

Piper nodded. "So why the cutting?"

"It's just a way to act out, you know? They took away my drugs and my freedom and they don't believe a word I say. Plus life took away my parents. So it's just one thing I can do that no one knows – well, knew – about. Now that's even been taken from me."

"Paige?" Piper said.

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you'll stop cutting, maybe even act a little saner. If we both try, we could get out of here. And if that happens, maybe you could come to live with me and my sisters and Grams."

Paige's eyes widened. "Really? You think your Grams would let me come and live with you?"

"I don't see why not. She takes care of three teenage girls. One more can't hurt, right?"

Paige nodded, eyes wide with hope. "Thanks."

From then on, the two girls were seen together every time they got the chance. They ate lunch together, spent time in the rec room together, and went into each other's rooms.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Two weeks passed and things were looking up. Piper had been there for a grand total of almost three weeks and she was getting used to being ushered everywhere, including the bathroom, and was used to the weekly doctors visit. She really enjoyed her visits with Mrs. Diaz.

Paige and Piper continued to spend time together and Paige reported that she hadn't cut in a long time, and she was slowly starting to act sane. She had been told that if she kept it up, she'd get out soon.

One day, Piper left Paige to go, unescorted, to Mrs. Diaz's room. She didn't have an appointment right now, and if she were caught sneaking around, she'd be in trouble. But she wanted to go and she just prayed she got there before she was found out.

Outside Dr, Diaz's room, Piper knocked. On being told to enter, she opened the door and then closed it behind her.

"Piper?" Mrs. Diaz asked, shocked. "We don't have an appointment. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, sorta. Can we talk?" She sat down in front of the desk.

"Of course," Mrs. Diaz replied, listening.

"I really want to go home. I can't stand it here any longer. I've gotten better and I have no desire to cut myself again. Is there any way I can get out of here sooner?"

Mrs. Diaz frowned. "I don't know. I'd have to speak to Maryanne Saunders and your grandmother."

"And-and there's something else. Paige Matthews. She's been doing better and I want her to come home with me and live with me. I know my grams wouldn't mind."

"Again, I'd have to speak with your grandmother and Maryanne Saunders. I'll see what I can do and we'll talk during our next session, okay?"

Piper nodded grimly.

"Let me call for an escort to take you back to the rec room." Mrs. Diaz picked up the phone and dialed.

Piper slumped in her seat and waited for her escort.


	8. Stupid Decisions

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter seven! Everyone basically loved it, but you're going to want to strangle me after you read this chapter! Lol. So, might as well just get it over with. No point delaying the inevitable: me getting strangled.

Enjoy and please review!

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At her next session with Mrs. Diaz, Piper was informed that, although she was getting better, she had to remain at the institution for the remainder of her eight months: another five weeks, as she had been originally told. Aggravated and upset, Piper didn't speak for the rest of the session, or while she was waiting to be escorted back to her room.

Julia wasn't there when Piper was dropped off, so Piper was free to sit on the bed and sulk and, when that didn't work, throw things around and kick things. Angry tears filled her eyes and mingled with her hair as they slid down her cheeks. She had gotten better! She had been doing everything right! So why couldn't she go home?

Heart pounding, blood bumping, and determination to piss everyone off caused her to loose control. She spotted a sharp and broken piece of the plastic headboard of her bed. She glanced outside to make sure no one was around. Then she stepped to it and pulled a chunk of the plastic off. Its edge was sharp and a sense of foreboding filled Piper's body as she stared at it, clutched in her shaking hand.

Did she dare? She'd been doing so well and to start cutting again would be the end of her progress. She'd eng up right back at the beginning.

But then again, she'd been doing so well! So why wouldn't they let her leave?

Anger coursing through her, Piper lowered the plastic to her flesh . . .

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

"Okay, Piper, you know the routine by now," Dr. Carlson said as she put on her gloves. She turned to face Piper with a kind smile.

Piper felt her face heat up with worry and fear. What was she going to do now? If she removed her long-sleeved shirt (After two weeks, patients were allowed to trade in their gowns for white, long-sleeved shirts and blue pajama-like pants), Dr. Carlson would see where she had cut herself. Then she'd be in trouble. But if she refused, the doctor would know she was hiding something, anyway.

"Piper?" Dr. Carlson prompted.

Piper looked up at the doctor, her mind racing for an excuse to stay dressed. But she found none and was forced to remove her shirt and pants. But she took the pants off first to buy some time. It only gave her another two seconds to pray for a miracle. When none came, she carefully removed the shirt, but hid her wrists slightly. She stood near the exam table and waited.

Dr. Carlson made some marks on her chart, then smiled and walked to Piper. "Okay, let's have a look."

Piper was forced to move nearer the center of the room and put her arms out so Dr. Carlson could see.

Before Dr. Carlson had even checked anything, she spotted the two big slash marks, one on each wrist. She frowned deeply.

"Piper, what's this?" she asked, though she already knew. She looked at Piper with a disappointed frown.

Piper didn't look at her.

"You were doing so well. You hadn't cut in four weeks. What happened?"

Still, Piper didn't look at her, nor did she reply.

Dr. Carlson sighed. "I'm going to have to put this on the chart and speak to Mrs. Saunders. You might have to stay here longer than five more weeks."

Piper swallowed back her tears.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Piper, answer me. Why did you do it?"

Piper looked up. She was in Mrs. Diaz's office with Mrs. Diaz herself and Maryanne Saunders.

Piper shrugged, her hands – with her wrists wrapped in a ring of white gauze – shaking with fear.

"No," Maryanne Saunders said firmly. "Shrugging is not n answer, young lady. Give us a real answer."

"I did it," Piper said suddenly, unable to force her tears back any longer, "because I was doing so well for so long. I asked about getting to go home early and I was told no. I don't understand why I was told no! If I was doing so well and I was getting better – I even said I had no desire to cut anymore! – then why was I told no? I want to go home!" She was sobbing horribly now.

Maryanne Saunders opened her mouth to reply, but Mrs. Diaz cut her off and said, "Because you might have said you had no desire to cut anymore, but look: One thing angered you and you cut. You might have thought you were better, Piper, but you weren't and we knew you weren't. We're professionals and we know when you can and can't go home yet. We know when you are and aren't better."

Piper's chin trembled. She felt so stupid and ashamed now. Now she'd never get to go home.

"You'll be monitored more closely from now on," Mrs. Saunders informed Piper. "An escort will be with you at all times. When you're in your room, an orderly will sit outside and check on you every half hour. We're going to change your weekly doctor visits to Dr. Carlson to three times a week. If you cut yourself again, you'll have to stay here for four more months, not two months and one week that you have left. Do you understand?"

Piper nodded numbly.

"We're also changing your medication, although that I will not be discussing at this time." Maryanne Saunders stood. "Mitch is waiting outside to take you back to your room." With that, she turned and left.

Mrs. Diaz stared hard at Piper for a long time.

"I don't understand why you did it, Piper, even after you're explanation. In my opinion, it was a very poor reason for cutting yourself. I thought you wanted to get better-"

"I do!" Piper snapped.

"-and you know I'll have to call your grams to tell her what's happened," Mrs. Diaz continued, ignoring Piper.

Piper looked up, horrified. It was the worst thing that she had been told so far.

"Please don't. She'll be so upset," Piper cried.

"I don't have a choice," Mrs. Diaz said sadly. "Go with Mitch back to your room, Piper. I need to call your grams."

Piper slumped out of the room and walked silently down the hall with Mitch. He waited until she was in the room then, nodding at the orderly sitting in a plastic chair outside the door, he left.

Piper laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling as tears, for about the hundredth time in two days, sprang into her eyes. She ran her fingers over the white gauze on her wrist (they had taken her white shirt and blue pants and she had been forced to wear the gown again so that her wrists and legs were exposed) and thought of home, of being with her family and not here, being watched twenty-four seven. Why had she done it? Why had she cut herself? Why had she acted out instead of talking it over with Mrs. Diaz? That was the reasonable thing to have done.

Then again, she thought sadly, doing stupid things instead of reasonable things was what had landed her here in the first place: When she had been bullied in school, she had cut herself when she should have gone and spoken to a teacher or counselor, or even Prue or Grams.

It seemed her life was just made up of a series of stupid mistakes. Her last one had landed her at Los Angelus Psychiatric Institution, and her very last mistake had ended all hopes of going home early.


	9. Attacked

A/N: Hey! Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. Anyway, forget the old summery. It's still a teen fic, but some things have changed. I'm taking the plot in a different direction, and I hope you still like it!

Please enjoy and please review.

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Just as she had been told, the security on Piper had tightened. She was never alone: an orderly, nurse, or escort was always with her, no matter what she did or where she went. Even when she showered, an orderly was overlooking her (they weren't always female, either). When she slept at night, someone stood watch at her door and came to her bedside every two hours to check she hadn't cut herself, which ensured that when she awoke the next morning, she was exhausted.

Julia had stopped speaking to Piper (to which Piper was almost grateful) because she blamed Piper for the fact that she could no longer sneak around at night.

Piper eve had trouble seeing Paige anymore because the staff (Maryanne Saunders, Mrs. Diaz, and Grams who, though not a staff member, also had a say in what was going on) felt Paige, as a cutter, was a bad influence on Piper. They couldn't sneak off and see each other, so they contended to seeing each other in the rec room and the cafeteria for meals.

"I can't believe how strict they've gotten, just because you cut once out of revenge."

"It wasn't revenge," Piper snapped at Paige.

It was a Friday afternoon and the two were sitting on the couch by the window in the rec room.

Paige held her hands up in defense. "Sor-ry. You know what I mean."

Piper nodded. "I don't even know why I really did it. It wasn't just because I was mad that they wouldn't release me early. It was something else and I don't know what."

"The rush of doing it?" Paige suggested.

Piper shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't want to. But in the heat of the moment, I guess I just lost myself. I can't let it happen again or I'll never get out of here. I have five more months and It'll become double that if I cut again," she replied, running her fingers over the white gauze on her wrists.

"Well, I haven't stopped. I tried but I can't. It's impossible. I need to do it or I crack up," Paige replied nonchalantly.

Piper blanched. "You've already cracked, Paige, especially if you think that way."

Paige glowered at her friend. "Look who's talking. You cut again and you don't even know why."

"Not completely. But kind of," Piper argued.

"Still," Paige remarked. "You don't _completely _know why you did it, which is just as cracked up as actually doing it."

"I was pissed at the doctors and grams for making me stay here," Piper said, trying to defend herself. But everything Paige said made sense.

Paige eyed her, knowing quite well that she had Piper backed into a corner.

Piper looked away angrily.

"Piper."

Piper looked up. One of the orderlies who often escorted her around was standing in front of her.

"Yeah?"

The orderly nodded for him to follow. "Mrs. Saunders would like to see you," he said gruffly.

Piper nodded and stood. She bade goodbye to Paige and headed off with the orderly. But he wasn't heading for Maryanne Saunders' office.

"Where are we going?" Piper asked as they descended a staircase at the end of the hall.

He didn't answer her. He kept walking.

Pipers shivered, worry creasing her face.

"Maybe we should go the other way," she said, stopping to turn around and leave quickly.

But the orderly's hand clamped on her wrist and dragged her downward.

"HELP!" Piper cried, struggling, fear gripping her. Why did he want to hurt her? What had she done to him?

The orderly pulled her roughly forward, yanking so hard and suddenly letting go; she screamed and went tumbling down the last two flights of steps, landing in a heap on the floor. She'd definitely broken a rib or two, maybe an ankle. And she had blood dripping from a cut on her forehead and could taste blood in her mouth.

The orderly advanced on her.

"Help!" Piper cried, but her scream was weaker now.

The orderly grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the wall, gripping so tightly, she thought her eyes would pop out.

"This should shut you up, you stupid little witch," the orderly snarled.

Piper choked and made incomprehensible sounds, struggling but her struggling becoming less and less. Stars danced in front of her eyes. It began to go black.

The orderly pulled out a sharp knife. Piper hissed and tried to fight but couldn't. He grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head, then took the knife and made deep slash wounds from the tip of her left wrist to the end of her right wrist (above the cuts already hidden by the gauze), then let her go. She crumbled at his feet.

He dropped the knife beside her, looked around, and left.

Piper, mean while, blacked out.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

When Piper opened her eyes, it was unusually bright. The light blinded her.

Was this death?

"Piper."

Piper jerked her head in the direction of the voice – but it hurt. She blinked several times and Grams came into view, along with Mrs. Diaz and Mrs. Saunders.

"Whas going on?" Piper slurred.

"Piper, you were attacked," Mrs. Diaz said softly. "Someone beat you up and used a knife to cut you."

Piper swallowed, but her throat was dry and hurt.

"From what we can tell, the attacker threw you down some steps, strangled you, and then slashed you. We're not sure who did it, though. We were hoping you'd remember," Maryanne Saunders added.

Piper's eyes drooped, then opened. They locked on Mrs. Saunders. "An orderly – he said you needed to see me. He took me down the steps and did-did exactly what you said he did,"

"I never sent an orderly to get you," Mrs. Saunders replied, frowning. "Did you see his name tag?"

"Brian," Piper replied.

"That's impossible," Maryanne Saunders said curtly. "Only one Brian has ever worked here and he died ten years ago."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Later in the night, Piper awoke to a shadow looming over her. She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand covered her mouth. She panicked and used her nails to try and slash at her attacker.

"Shh! Piper, it's me, Paige," the attacker whispered, removing their hand.

"Paige? How'd you get in here? I have guards outside my door."

"You'd never believe me," she replied. "So how are you?"

"Fine." Piper paused. "Mrs. Diaz said that it was you who went and got someone to find me."

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I had a bad feeling about that guy from the beginning. Then when I saw he wasn't taking to Saunders' office, I ran for the nurse's station and told them. They didn't believe me at first, thought I was just talking like the crazy chic I am. That's why they didn't get to you sooner. Saunders' completely cursed them out because of it. If that nurse had believed me sooner, they would have gotten to you quicker and seen who your attacker was."

Piper nodded. "Thanks. I would have bled to death if it hadn't been for you."

Paige smiled. "No problem."

"I better go," Paige added. "Before we get caught."

"How did you get in here, anyway? There's a guard at my door," Piper repeated.

Paige smirked.


	10. Freeze

A/N: Wow! Thanks so much for all the reviews! I'm really glad that everyone liked the magic factor being brought in. I had originally planned this as a non-magic fic, but the urge was just too great and I was worried people wouldn't like it. So I'm glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter!

THIS CHAPTER IS REALLY SHORT! NEARLY a page and a half SHORTER THAN I NORMALLY DO. Because I wanted to update, but I have to be up at 7 tomorrow morning and I have to be in bed by 10:30 and it's already 10. So, I'm really sorry. I'll post 2 chapters tomorrow, or make the next chapter really long to make up for this.

Hopefully, you'll enjoy this anyway, despite it's shortness.

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Paige refused to leave until Piper had fallen asleep. She said that she wanted to make sure she was okay, after such a horrible day. And when Piper awoke an hour later, Paige was indeed gone, and a light shining into her room from an orderly checking her blinded her. After the light shut off, Piper laid on her back, staring at the ceiling. And thinking.

Some things that had happened made no sense and it was only now that she realized them.

First, there was her attacker. His name tag red Brian, but no Brian had worked here in ten years. Could it be possible that her attacker had just stolen the uniform? Or was there some other explanation? Surely it couldn't be Brian, if he was dead.

And what about what he'd said to her? "This should shut you up, you stupid little witch." What had that meant? Was it just some stupid expression, or was there more to it? But there couldn't be, could there? And why would he attack her in the first place? What had she ever done to him, whoever he was?

Second, What was up with Paige? Sometimes she seemed crazy as hell. Other times she seemed like she was the sanest person in this place. And then again, her eyes always held sadness and mystery, whether she was sane or crazy.

And how had Paige gotten into her room when an orderly was never absent from the post set up outside her door? How could she have possibly gotten around the guard?

All these thoughts and possibilities swam in Piper's head until, around three in the morning, she fell asleep.

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Piper was awoken the next morning by Maryanne Saunders herself.

"We're taking no chances. Whoever attacked you might come back," she said crisply. "We're checking and double checking employee ID's and you are not to go anywhere with anyone telling you we called for you unless either Mrs. Diaz or myself have informed you earlier that you were to be escorted to see us."

Piper nodded.

"Mitch will be your permanent escort. You will only go places with him."

"Even the bathroom and shower?" Piper blanched.

Mrs. Saunders nodded. "For the time being, yes."

"Get dressed and go to the rec room until breakfast." Maryanne Saunders left the room.

Piper dressed in her gown (Which she was still being forced to wear) and went to the rec room, where she found Paige and sat with her.

"So, how did you get passed that guard?" Piper asked.

Paige looked around and stood, grabbing Piper's hand. "Come on, I'll show you."

"But-" Piper protested, but Paige was dragging her along. Finally, Paige dropped her hand and Piper willingly followed. Halfway down the hall, an orderly spotted them.

"Hey! You girls-"

Piper, who hadn't been paying attention, jumped with fright at the sudden voice and threw her hands up in shock.

The orderly stopped speaking in mid sentence. In fact, he stopped moving.

"What happened?" Piper gasped, slowly walking up to him and waving a hand in his face. He didn't flinch.

"You can, too?" Paige asked. She pondered this before grabbing Piper's hand and pulling her into a side room and shutting the door.

"What, you can make people freeze, too?" Piper asked, shocked and frightened.

"No. But-" Paige concentrated and disappeared, a moment later, in a sparkle of blue lights.

Piper nearly screamed, but choked it down as Paige reappeared.

"That's how I escaped the car crash! I finally figured it out a few days ago when I did that light thing," Paige said quickly. "And if you can do that freeze thing, then maybe our – whatever they are – are connected!"

"This is crazy. This is insane. I don't even know what this is!" Piper cried, panicking. "What are we?"

Paige eyes Piper. "What did that guy call you when he attacked you yesterday?"

"A- Whoa, are you serious? You don't really think-? But we can't be-"

"Witches?"

Piper gawked at her. "No way. No freaking way! That's not possible because-because Witches don't exist!" she ranted.

"How do you know?" Paige asked her, emphasizing the words. "Maybe they do! Maybe we are!"

"No," Piper said, shaking her head. "No. No way."

"But-" Paige whined.

"NO! It's not possible and this is not happening. Just leave me alone, Paige!" Piper snapped, pulling the door open with great force and running out of the room and back to the safety of her own. She dropped onto her bed, her heart racing and her breathing heavy.

What had she done? What could Paige do? Were they really witches?

What was going on?


	11. Attacked Again!

A/N: Hey. Thanks a lot for all the reviews! I appreciate it. And sorry for the shortness of last chapter, but I had to be up at 7 for my road test (I passed!) and I wanted to update. So, here's the new chapter! And I might post another later.

Enjoy!

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Paige kept her distance for three days. By then, Piper had been at the institution for nearly five weeks. It was torture, and the thought of what would happen if Paige was right and they really were witches added to Piper's worry.

On the fourth day, Paige came to Piper's room and knocked on the door before walking in and sitting on the bed.

"Are you talking to me yet?" Paige asked after a long minute of awkward silence.

"I guess so," Piper said, sighing. "Maybe I overreacted. I'm sorry. But your idea is crazy. Us? Witches? It makes no sense. As far as I know, my mom wasn't a witch and my grams isn't a witch, and neither are my sisters."

"How do you know? Maybe they are? Ever asked before?"

Piper gawked at her. "No! They'd think I'm crazy."

"Not if it's true," Paige argued. "Maybe we are."

"And if we are? That man wanted me dead because of it. So if we are, what then? Are people going to be chasing us all the way to Australia for the rest of our lives, trying to kill us?" Piper ranted.

Paige frowned. "Australia?"

"First thing that came to my mind," Piper said, waving it away. "That's not the point anyway."

"I know what your point is, Piper. But just give it some thought. Maybe, just maybe we are wit- hmmmm!" Paige cried. Piper had placed a hand over her mouth to hush her.

"Everything okay in here, girls?"

Paige turned to look in the doorway. A tall man with short brown hair was standing, looking at them.

Piper nodded, used to being checked on every hour or less. "Yes, we're fine."

"Well, it's time for breakfast. Let's go."

Piper looked at the clock. It was half an hour early. She pointed this out.

"Mrs. Saunders told me to bring you early, just in case," he replied.

Piper glanced at Paige, who shrugged and stood. Piper followed.

The orderly led the way to the cafeteria. Piper relaxed a little and followed. But inside the cafeteria, it was empty and dark. The smells of breakfast were not in the air and when she and Paige turned, the orderly had locked the door – the only exit.

The turned to run in the opposite direction but, out of nowhere, men appeared, grinning manically and knew they had the girls trapped.

"You escaped the last man I sent after you, witch," the original orderly said. Piper and Paige turned to face them. "But you won't escape this time."

"Grab my hand, tight, Piper," Paige whispered, holding her hand out.

"What-" Piper said, but took Paige's hand anyway.

Paige gripped her hand tightly and orbed out, back to Piper's room.

"Come on, we need to go to a safe place!" Paige urged, but Piper was dizzy and not up to moving. Another tug from Paige made her get up and go.

They ran as fast as they could down the hall, trying every door possible.

"Why don't we just go to Mrs. Diaz or Mrs. Saunders?" Piper questioned.

"Because those guys are after us. We need to come up with a plan and kill them," Paige replied.

"Kill them?" Piper cried.

"No, hand them a bud of roses," Paige said dryly. "Of course kill them! They're monsters, Piper! If we don't kill them, they'll kill us. Now, where can we go where it's safe?"

"The art room. There's a lot of sharp objects in there," Piper replied.

The art room was locked at all times and only for the non-cutters and non-suicidal patients. It was for people who were disfigured or handicapped, a place they could go to relax and feel at ease. Piper had never been there but she knew where it was.

She and Paige ran in and snooped around until they had as many sharp objects as possible, then they waited.

"What do we do?" Piper asked, since Paige seemed to know.

Paige shrugged. "Make sure the pointy part goes in them? Anywhere, I guess?"

They didn't have time to debate that. Instead, the men arrived and they began to throw as quickly as they could. They hit several, who burst into flame. Some formed what looked like balls of fire or electricity and threw them.

"AH!" One had scorched Paige's arm. Piper ducked and dodged one, and Paige disappeared in showers of blue, and came back, to avoid another.

The leader appeared at the end of the line, after the girls had ducked, frozen, and killed the others.

"So-" he began, but Piper froze him and Paige threw a scissor at him. He burst into flame, screamed, and disappeared.

Piper and Paige cheered with victory and shook with fright.

"We did it!" Piper cried. "How'd you know what to do?"

"No idea," Paige replied. I just did."

"We'll, we better get back to my room before I get in trouble. And you, too, just for being with me."

Piper led the way. They walked in silence for a long time before speaking.

"I can't believe that. I mean, we're witches!" Piper cried.

Paige smirked. "So now you admit it."

"We can't tell anyone, Paige. And we can't show off our powers for fun. This is a secret just between us. Okay?"

Paige pouted.

"Promise me," Piper said forcefully.

"God, don't go all Big Sister on me. I know we can't tell anyone," Paige said, annoyed.

"Ha. If I were you're big sister, you'd know it," Piper joked. "You're lucky I'm not or I would be _forcing_ you to stop cutting. But since I'm not, I can only give you good advice."

Paige and Piper laughed, slightly giddy from their triumph and still trying to sort things out. They were discussing what would happen now when they reached Piper's room.

"You girls have a lot of explaining to do."

Piper and Paige stopped short and looked up to see Maryanne Saunders and Mrs. Diaz standing before them.

The smiles on their faces quickly fell away.


	12. Third Time's a Charm

"We-uh-I mean-" Piper stammered.

"It was my fault," Paige said suddenly. "I talked her into leaving. She didn't want to but-but I thought it'd be fun to go walking around alone. She always has someone watching her and we never get alone time."

Piper stared at Paige in amazement.

Miss. Matthews, my office now. Miss. Halliwell, you have a session with Mrs. Diaz.

Piper gave Paige a looks of thanks before each girl was escorted away.

In Mrs. Diaz's office, Piper sat silently in her seat. Mrs. Diaz stared at her.

"Miss. Matthews was lying. Something else happened. You look like you've seen a ghost. What's happened?"

Piper kept her mouth shut.

"Piper, I might be able to help if you tell me what's going on."

Still, Piper was silent.

The session was like this the whole way through. At the end of it, Piper was escorted back to her room.

In a rare moment of privacy, Piper was allowed to close her door. Minutes later, Paige appeared.

"That's freaky, you know," Piper told her.

"You freeze people," Paige argued.

"True."

"Look, I have a feeling someone else is going to come after us. They won't stop until we're dead. We need to come up with ways to defend ourselves and get out of here as soon as possible. I've stopped cutting for good, and I'm trying to act sane when I'm with the staff. I'm not crazy . . . I'm not. So I should be able to get released soon."

"And I've stopped cutting, so I might get out early on good behavior – if they stop catching us running around," Piper replied.

Paige nodded. "We need to start preparing ourselves. The next attack could be totally unexpected."

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Piper was awoken by her name being called. A glance at her clock told her it was two in the morning,

She sat up. "Who's there?" she slurred, her eyes half open and her vision blurry.

"It's Mrs. Diaz. You need to come with me right away. Someone tried to break into your room and Miss. Matthews room. We need to take you girls to safety."

Piper stood, fully alert now. "Is Paige okay?"

"She's fine. She's waiting in my office."

Piper nodded and followed Mrs. Diaz into the hall and to Mrs. Diaz's office. But once inside, she saw no sight of Paige or anyone else.

"Paige isn't here . . . Mrs. Diaz?"

Mrs. Diaz locked the door and laughed. She turned around to look at Piper, laughing manically. Piper backed up into a wardrobe and the door banged open. Piper backed off it and out fell – Mrs, Diaz! Piper screamed and backed away.

The imposter suddenly transformed into a man with shoulder length blonde hair.

"Finally. You're mine, witch."

Piper dodged his lunge, then froze him. Gasping for breath, she unlocked the door and ran down the hall, screaming for help. But no one came. The place was deserted.

She ran to Paige's room and burst in. A sleepy Paige sat up and mumbled eligible words.

"Paige, get up," Piper said, near hysterics. "Mrs. Diaz is dead. This place is deserted. And we're next. We have to get out of here."

Paige sat up. "Dead? Deserted?" She looked panicked.

"Let's go. Leave everything. We have to get to the Manor."

Paige got up and followed Piper into the hallway. They looked around.

"Cost is clear," Piper whispered. They left the room and made a run for it, heading for the exit.

But one of the men appeared in front of them and blocked the way.

"You're not getting out," the man said. He raised his hands and they heard several locks and clicks. Then big, steel bars came down on every window and door they could see.

"You're trapped," he said, grinning.

"This way," Piper cried, dragging Paige around a corner. "The basement! He might not have bolted it."

"I could try my blue light thing.," Paige said. They stopped and held hands. Paige closed her eyes and they were engulfed in the lights, but a second later they were thrown back down and landed in a heap on the floor.

"What happened?" Piper asked, rubbing her arm, which she'd landed on.

"I can't do it! It's like something is blocking me."

"Then we need to find a way out of here."

They continued to make a run for the basement, found it open, and ran inside, closing and locking the door. They were both covered in sweat and shaking. Piper's legs felt ready to give out.

Down in the basement, they paused to catch their breath.

"We need to get out of here now."

Paige nodded and followed Piper around the basement.

It took minutes of searching but they found a storm door that went outside.

"This way," Piper said giving it a good strong push. But it wouldn't budge.

"Paige, help me."

Piper and Paige pushed, tugged, and kicked. But it wouldn't budge.

"We have to go back up there and find another way out," Piper said finally.

"Back up there? Piper, you're insane! They'll kill us!"

"Do you have a better idea?" Piper snapped.

Paige shook her head and they went back up the steps and to the first floor.

Piper looked out, then nodded. "Cost is clear," she whispered.

They exited the basement and closed the door.

"Let's go before they- AH!"

Someone swooped behind Piper and grabbed her around the middle. She kicked and thrashed, but couldn't tug free.

"PAIGE, RUN!" she cried, but a minute later, someone had grabbed Paige by her wrists and tugged her armed behind her back.

The two girls struggled but to no avail. They were caught.

The man with the shoulder length blonde hair appeared, grinning.

"Looks like we bagged ourselves two Charmed Ones."


	13. The Truth

A/N: Hey! Thanks so much for the reviews. I have good news and I have bad news. Bad news: This is the last chapter of Breaking Point. I can't go anywhere else with it. How many times can I have demons attack them? The GOOD NEWS: I have a sequel planned that will rock! Look for the first chapter of that tomorrow evening.

So please enjoy and please review!

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

"What do they want with us?" Paige asked Piper in a whispered tone that held traces of fear.

They were tied up with their hands behind their backs, and the ropes around large, metal posts set up around the technology room.

"Well, by the location, I'd say they want to slice and dice," Piper growled, emphasizing the words 'slice' and 'dice.'

"Nice words of comfort," Paige snipped.

Piper sighed. "No fighting, okay?" she whispered. "We need to work together to get out of here. If I could only get my hands free to freeze them . . ."

"Maybe- stupid. But . . . If I can send myself places with those blue lights, maybe I can send the ropes away, too," Paige whispered.

Piper glanced at the men, who were on the other side of the room, talking in whispered and picking up random shop tools – probably to cut them to pieces.

"Try it. If it works, we both run in different directions and hide. Find as many sharp tools as we can and stab them. That seems to kill them," Piper replied. She saw the men look at them, then away. "Do it now before it's too late."

Paige took a deep breath, then said in a loud whisper, "Ropes!"

Piper prayed, but the ropes still held her hands.

"Try again," she said encouragingly.

This time, when Paige called for the ropes, they left their hands and fell to the floor.

"Yes!" Piper said. "Now run, go!"

They both ducked and ran in opposite directions and hid. They could hear the angered roars of the demons as they silently tried to stay hidden and collect enough weapons to kill them alone and escape alive.

Piper found several sharp implements. It only occurred to her then why, in a loony bin, they had a technology room. But there was no time to think about it. It was time to fight. She took the weapons and held them in the crook of her arm, then jumped up.

"Over here, dingbats!" she yelled. Paige jumped from her hiding spot, too. Piper threw her hands up and froze them all. "Start throwing!"

Paige and Piper began to throw as fast as they could. Several of the weapons hit on target and killed the demons. But then the remaining ones unfroze and began to counter-attack.

"Fire thingy!" Paige cried, hand out. The fire thing appeared in her hand and she threw it back at the man. He burst in flame, screamed, and went poof.

The last three disappeared on there own.

"We did it!" Paige cried – when one of the men appeared behind her and held a sharp dagger to her throat, his free hand holding her to him.

"Not quite," he said softly, smirking.

Piper gasped. She went to run forward, but the man snapped, "Any closer and she dies!" So Piper stopped short.

Paige had tears in her eyes and she trembled with fear.

Piper held her hands up to freeze him, but he warned her off again. She lowered her hands slowly. She didn't know what to do now.

"And so ends the Charmed Ones," the man said, laughing. He raised the dagger-

"NO!" Piper cried

-and plunged it into Paige's stomach.

Paige hissed and wriggled. The pain exploded and stars danced in front of her eyes. She gagged when the man wrenched the dagger out of her stomach. Blood dripped from it and blossomed on her hospital gown. He slowly let her slip to the ground.

He then stood and smirked at Piper, saluting her with the dagger before leaving.

"PAIGE!" Piper cried, running to Paige and falling beside her.

Paige's eyes were barely open. Her breathing was ragged.

"P-Pi-Piper," Paige spluttered, coughing.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! PLEASE!" Piper screamed, then, more feebly, "Please."

Paige gagged slightly, her eyes drooping again.

"No, no, no! Don't close your eyes Paige. Please don't close your eyes!" Piper begged. She shook Paige's arm. "Please keep your eyes open!"

A swirl of blue lights suddenly filled the room. Piper gasped, shielding her eyes from them.

The lights faded and a tall blonde haired man with a kind, concerned face appeared.

Piper stood, guarding Paige. He had done the same blue light show Paige could do, but she didn't trust him.

"It's okay. I'm on your side. I can help your friend if you let me," the man said gently. His tone was calm, but he looked urgently at the near-death form of Paige on the floor.

Something about him convinced Piper and she nodded. "Please hurry." Tears streaked her face, but ceased flow as she watched the man kneel by Paige. He rested his hands over he wound and they glowed a golden color. Piper gasped as the wound healed and the blood vanished.

Paige sat up suddenly, still weak and now confused.

The man stood and backed away. "You're safe for now. Call your Grams – she'll come get you out of here." He didn't give Piper or Paige a chance to reply. He simply left.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

"Girls!"

Piper and Paige, shivering in the cold outside the Institution, looked up at Grams voice. They were bloody, beaten, sweaty, and exhausted. But the sight of Grams comforted them both, even though Paige had never met her.

Grams embraced them both.

"What happened?"

"We'll explain on the way to the Manor. Can we just go? I don't want to stay here anymore," Piper said.

Grams nodded and guided them to the car.

The drive home was filled with Piper and Paige's voices, explaining what had happened.

They were still explaining when they entered the Manor and sat on the couches to finish.

"I still don't understand why they called us the Charmed Ones, whatever that is. But I guess we really are witches . . . Right?" Piper asked grams.

Grams looked at Paige with sadness and longing, then at Piper.

"I'm sorry, girls. This is difficult. I guess I can explain, since- Well, let me explain."

For the next hour, Grams told them about being witches – and half sisters. She told of Patty's relationship with her Whitelighter. She explained the destiny of the Charmed Ones and that those men were demons who wanted to harm them. She explained that Paige could orb. She explained everything.

When she was done, Piper and Paige were silent with amazement and joy.

"But- well. Oh, I'm sorry. But you won't remember any of this." Grams stood and kissed Paige on the forehead. "Be safe, darling."

She looked away from their confused looks and then waved her hand over them. They slumped over in sleep. Then she sprinkled them with the memory dust Leo had given her. They wouldn't remember meeting each other, the demons who had attacked them, having powers, or anything she had just told them.

After, she whispered a spell to send Paige to a new foster family, to whom she would believe, had always been her foster parents.

Then she took Piper to bed and kissed her goodnight. In the morning, the girls would just think Piper had come home that night.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Piper sat on the front porch the next morning, glad she had been let out early on good behavior. She couldn't stand to be at the institution any longer.

"Hey."

Piper looked up to see Prue sitting beside her.

"It's good to have you home, Piper. We missed you."

"I missed you guys, too. And don't worry, my days of self mutilation are over," Piper reassured her. "I just want things to go back to normal around here."

"They will. This family is as close to normal as you can get." Prue smiled. "Come on, breakfast is ready."

Hand in hand, Piper and Prue went inside, closing the door behind them.


End file.
